Cotton scale



March 6, 1956 ATTAWAY 2,737,381

COTTON SCALE Filed Dec. 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z/S/lfl HTDYIV/WINVENTOR E. ATTAWAY COTTON SCALE March 6, 1956 Filed Dec. 24, 1953 ATTORNEYS United States Patent COTTON SCALE Elisha Attaway, Opelousas, La. Application December 24, 1953, Serial No. 400,193 9 Claims. (Cl. 265-52) This invention relates to a new and improved cotton scale particularly defined and arranged for weighing bales of cotton.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a lift and scale of the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter to maintain accuracy in weighing objects, such as bales of cotton, over a long period with little wear on the bearings of the scale and knife edge trunnions, even though subjected to frequent periods of use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an improved combined lift and scale constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed longitudinal section of the combined lift and scale taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the stabilizer, removed from the scale.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged end elevation of the lift and scale, partly broken away.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the cotton scale 10 is designated generally in the drawings as comprising a horizontally extending trestle bar 12 supported at the opposite ends thereof by vertically extending legs 13.

The legs 13 are stabilized and reinforced in their attachment to the trestle bar 12 by the gussets 14 which are secured each to the legs 13 and to the trestle bar 12.

A stabilizer lift 15 is fulcrumed intermediate the length thereof on a horizontal bolt 16 in the upper end of bracket 17 near one end of the trestle bar 12, Fig. 1.

A pivot 18 is provided on one end of the lift 15 for connecting a pair of vertically extending arms 19 which extend downwardly from the end of the lift 15 through an opening in the trestle bar 12.

A hollow scale beam stabilizer 20 is pivotally supported on the lower end of arms 19. The hollow stabilizer 20 is provided with a vertically extending lug 21 through which a pivot bolt 22 is extended, to attach to the lower end of the arms 19.

A lock 23 is pivotally connected in the hollow stabilizer 20, the lock 23 having a fiat stop arm 24 as one end thereof and a weighted arm 25 at an angle forming the other end.

The hollow stabilizer 20 is slidably supported between guides 29, which are spaced apart for engagement with the opposite sides of the hollow scale beam stabilizer 20, the stabilizer having a top wall 27 with a bottom wall 28 connecting the side walls 26 together.

The lower ends of the guide arms 29 are connected together by the cross piece 30 which is directly connected to a laterally extending horizontal cross piece or trestle brace 31 which is fixed at its opposite ends to the inner side of the supporting trestle legs 13, Fig. 4.

The cross piece 31 is also provided with a pair of horizontally extended arms 32 to accurately position the guide arms 29 below the trestle bar 12.

A connecting bar 33 is fulcrumed, inteirnediate its length on a pivot 34 carried by bracket 35 spaced horizontally from bracket 17.

One end of bar 33 is pivotally and slidably connected to the lift 15 by a pivot pin 36 movable in a longitudinally extending slot 37 at the end of lift 15'.

A second slot 38 is formed in the other end of bar 33 for connection to a pivot 42 carried by an adjacent end of a lifting lever 39.

The lengths of the two sections of bar 33 defined by the pivot 34 are in a ratio corresponding to that of similar sections of stabilizer lift 15. This results in rod 46 and arms 19 having the same vertical displacement in use, and moving together in the same direction and to the same extent. This keeps the scale beam 44 level, inasmuch as it is suspended from rod 46 and arms 19. Of course, the lock 23 is turned to hold the beam 44 fixed relative to arms 19, at this time. This construction avoids angular movement of the beam 44 and the attending oscillation of the beam and of load 55, and thus reduces movement of knife edge trunnions 45 and 58 on their bearings to almost nothing.

The downward force of load 55 averages about 500 lbs, and as concentrated on a thin knife edge 58, and likewise 45, gives a pressure of many thousands of pounds. This great pressure with relative movement of the trunnions on their bearings has heretofore resulted in rapid wear and loss of accuracy. By keeping the beam 44 level with structural elements 33, 15', 19 and 20, this Wear is reduced to nearly nothing with much use over a great period of time. This is the essence of my invention.

The lever 39 is fulcrumed intermediate its length on pivot pin 40 carried by a fixed bracket 41 adjacent the other end of the trestle bar 12, Fig. 1.

The free end of lever 39 extends outwardly of the trestle bar 12 and engageable within a hook shaped stop 43 which is fixed to the end of the trestle.

A scale beam 44 is supported below the trestle bar 12 by knife edge trunnions 45, intermediate the length of the beam, mounted in bearings in bracket 47 suspended from vertically extending rod 46 which extends through a hole in the trestle bar 12. Rod 46 is suspended from pivot 42.

An adjusting weight 48 is slidably mounted on the beam 44-on one side of the trunnion 45 for movement along the length of the beam outwardly toward the scale beam stabilizer 20. It is provided with a pointed marker 49, to indicate the mass of the load, in pounds.

A fine balance weight 51 is threadably mounted adjacent one end of the beam 44 on a screw 52 which is carried by the beam 44, to adjust it for accuracy.

One or more counterweights 53 are mounted on the beam 44, when needed, below the adjustable weight 51 to balance the scale 10.

The load 55 may ordinarily be supported by a rope 56, which engages with a hook 57 carried by the trunnion knife edge 58 on the beam 54 adjacent to the knife edge 45, described above.

A chain 59 is carried by the extreme outer end of the lifting lever 39 for lifting and weighing the load 55.

The scale beam 44 is initially held horizontal by the lock 23, as the rod 46 with the bracket 47 are used, while the weight is being attached to and lifted by the beam and hook 57. Then the lock 23 is released as the load 55 is balanced by the weights 53 and by the marker 49 in registry with one of the indices 50.

Use and operation The stabilizer lock 23 is turned with stop arm 24 bearing vertically against the end of beam 44. Then the chain" 59 is used to release lever 39 from stop 43, so that it will rise and permit rod 46 and arms'19-to-descend. A cotton bale or other load 55, is placed below beam and then attached with lines 56 to hook 57. The chain 59 is pulled downwardly and lever 39 i sput under stop 43 to hold load 55 clear of its horizontal support. The upward lift of rod 46 and arms 19 have kept beam 44 horizontal. The weight 48 is moved to its approximate correct position on beam 44. Lock 23 is released and any further slight adjustment of the position of weight 44 is made.

After the reading is taken, lock 23 is again turned to hold beam 44. Chain 59 is used to release lever 39 and lower the load 55. Lines 56 are detached and the scale beam is ready to receive its next load.

While the specific details of oneembodiment of this invention have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cotton scale comprising an elongated horizontal trestle bar, supporting legs for said trestle bar at the opposite ends thereof, a stabilizer lift fulcrumed intermediate its length adjacent one end of said trestle bar, a beam stabilizer on the outer end of the lift, a connecting bar fulcrumed intermediate its ends on said trestle bar and spaced from the fulcrum support for the lift, a slidable and pivotal connection between one end of the connecting bar and the inner end of the lift, a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends on the other end of the trestle bar and spaced from the fulcrum support of the connecting bar, one end of said lever slidably and pivotally connected to the other end of said connecting bar, a beam pivotally suspended intermediate its ends from the lever pivot to the connecting bar, a weight supporting member fulcrumed on said beam near said pivotal connection thereof, said beam stabilizer having a lock to embrace one end of said beam, and an elongated flexible element attached to said lever to operate it.

2. The cotton scale of claim 1, including a hooked stop on one end of said trestle bar engageable with said lever.

3. The cotton scale of claim 1, wherein each slidable and pivotal connection includes a pivot pin on one con= necting element and a slot in the engaging end of the other one.

4. A cotton scale of the kind described comprising a horizontal trestle bar, supporting legs on said trestle bar, a stabilizer lift fulcrumed intermediate its ends on said trestle bar adjacent one end thereof, a stabilizer guide secured between said bar and the legs, an open beam stabilizer slidable on said guide and pivotally suspendedfromthe outer end of said lift, a lifting lever, a horizontal scale beam spaced below said bar and pivotally connected to the end of the lifting lever which is connected to the stabilizer lift, one end of said beam engaging within the stabilizer, a movable locking member pivoted in said stabilizer engageable with the beam, and a fulcrumed bar 1connecting an end of the stabilizer lift and an end of the ever.

5. The cotton scale of claim 4, in which a stop is mounted on the trestle bar and is engageable with the lifting lever to hold a load suspended for weighing.

6. A weighing scale comprising a trestle support, a scale beam suspended thereon, a lifting lever connected to the scale beam toward one end of thebeam and an articulated mechanism pivotally connected to the lever, a stabilizer connected to the articulated mechanism at the other end of the scale beam, said connection being such that the beam will remain horizontal when raised and lowered in' use, the scale beam being fulcrumed on knife edge bearings at the lower end of a rod, said rod being pivotally attached to an end of the lever, said articulated mecha-:

nism comprising a scale beam stabilizer pivotally suspended from the articulated mechanism, and said stabilizer having a lock engageable with the beam to hold it immobile relative to the stabilizer.

7. The weighing scale of claim 6 in which the stabilizer is slidably mounted in vertical guides.

8. The weighing scale of claim 6 in which the articulated mechanism comprises also a stabilizer lift and a connecting bar, each fulcrumed on the support as connecting links between the lifting lever and the stabilizer.

9. The weighing scale of claim 8, in which the connecting bar and stabilizer lift are fulcrumed intermediate their ends to provide for vertical oscillation and to define sections which are in ratios resulting'in the same vertical displacement of the rod support of the scale beam and of the stabilizer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,089X Dearborn Mar. 24, 1819 920,004 Aue Apr. 27, 1909 978,306 Keppler Dec. 13, 1910 1,581,070 Lanman Apr. 13, 1926 1,921,979 Lindsay Aug. 8, 1933 1,984,606 Thomas Dec. 18, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 653.391 Germany Nov. 22, 1937 

